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Indigenous communities possess rich traditions of conflict resolution rooted in their cultural values, collective decision-making, and community involvement. However, the imposition of Western legal frameworks and colonial histories has often disrupted these practices, leading to increased tensions and unresolved conflicts. This study explored conflict resolution within Indigenous communities, emphasizing the role of social work in facilitating culturally appropriate processes. The study employed a qualitative approach, incorporating interviews with Indigenous leaders, social workers, and community members, alongside a review of relevant literature on traditional practices and social work interventions. Social workers play a crucial role as facilitators, helping to navigate tensions and bridging gaps between traditional practices and contemporary needs. Challenges include a lack of cultural competency and the need for ongoing community engagement. The integration of Indigenous knowledge systems into conflict resolution practices enhance outcomes and foster healing. Social workers prioritize cultural humility and active listening, ensuring that Indigenous voices lead the resolution process. By supporting the reclamation of traditional conflict resolution methods and advocating for culturally sensitive practices, social workers empowered Indigenous communities, promote resilience, and facilitate more effective conflict resolution. This perspective underscores the necessity of collaboration, respect, and recognition of Indigenous sovereignty in all social work interventions.

The educational institutions in South Africa face challenges in integrating crucial 21st-century skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation into their academic programs. Project-based learning (PBL) has emerged as a valuable approach to enhancing entrepreneurial education by developing these essential competencies through real-world applications. PBL effectively bridges the gap between theoretical concepts and practical problem-solving in real-life situations by involving students in practical, hands-on learning. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in fostering entrepreneurial skills among first-year science students at a rural university. Using a mixed-methods approach, participants created and presented organic soaps, simulating authentic business processes. The study used purposive sampling, and student performance was evaluated by a panel based on specific criteria. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and One-Way ANOVA, with data visualisation using Python's Matplotlib. The paper investigated whether the implementation of PBL significantly enhances students' entrepreneurial skills compared to traditional teaching methods. The study revealed that 210 students, mainly from schools with limited resources, faced challenges in practical chemistry despite prior instruction in Physical Sciences. The implementation of project-based learning proved to be an effective method for nurturing entrepreneurial skills, highlighting the importance of experiential learning. It is essential for higher education institutions to integrate entrepreneurship into their curricula, collaborate with industry, improve group dynamics, and prioritise quality control. These strategies have the potential to foster innovation and better prepare students for self-employment opportunities.

The global rise in life expectancy has spurred interest in healthy ageing and preventing age-related chronic diseases. Indigenous diets and recreational activities are recognised for promoting longevity and mitigating conditions like cardiovascular disease and dementia. This scoping review, guided by PRISMA-Scr, examined the impact of indigenous dietary practices and recreational activities on healthy ageing and managing age-related diseases. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and CINAHL Central for peer-reviewed English-language articles (2015–2025), identifying 36,984 records and including 34 studies. Findings show that indigenous diets, rich in plant-based foods, lean proteins, and minimal processed foods, are associated with lower chronic disease prevalence. Recreational activities, such as farming, hunting, and communal dancing, enhance physical fitness, social cohesion, and mental well-being, which are crucial for healthy ageing. Integrating diet and activity in indigenous communities fosters a lifestyle that supports long-term health. These practices offer valuable insights for global ageing strategies. Public health initiatives should adopt culturally sensitive approaches, incorporating traditional diets and activities to improve outcomes. Future research should explore adapting these practices for diverse populations, particularly in urban settings, to enhance their scalability and impact. 

In Southern Africa, the human immunodeficiency virus constitutes a significant public health challenge, characterised by elevated rates of new infections in rural populations. Conversely, biomedical interventions have facilitated advancement. The incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems into Human Immunodeficiency Virus preventive techniques is still little investigated. This systematic analysis assesses the incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems into community-based HIV prevention strategies in Southern Africa. This systematic review complied with the PRISMA principles. A search was performed across various electronic databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and CINAHL, for papers published from 01 January 2015 to 31 June 2025. A total of 51,972 studies were discovered, of which 14 matched the inclusion criteria and were evaluated. The analysis revealed that incorporating Indigenous Knowledge Systems into community-based HIV prevention programs in Southern Africa improved cultural relevance, community involvement, and trust in health initiatives. Traditional healers significantly contributed to counselling, education, and the increase of HIV testing in rural regions, leading to enhanced service accessibility and diminished stigma. Notwithstanding these advantages, several projects nevertheless lacked official policy support and organised collaborations between conventional and biological health sectors.

Education has transitioned from an informal, community-driven process rooted in family and tribal collectivism to a formalized system of structured learning within schools. This paper explores the historical evolution of education, beginning with its early roots in natural, informal interactions within communities and the pivotal role of parents and families in shaping foundational learning. It examines the shift to formal education, driven by the advent of written symbols and societal complexity, and highlights the critical functions of schools in socialization, skill acquisition, and cultural preservation. Foundational theories on education are discussed, emphasizing its social embeddedness and collective purpose. The paper further addresses contemporary challenges in formal education, including issues of accessibility, quality disparities, systemic discrimination, and the selective nature of assessments. These challenges are analyzed through the lens of international legal frameworks, such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the Convention Against Discrimination in Education (CADE), which provide a normative basis for addressing inequities in education systems. The methodology taking a doctrinal approach involves a critical review of historical accounts, theoretical perspectives, and legal instruments, to uncover both cultural nuances and global legal standards relating to education. The findings underscore the transformative potential of education when it is inclusive, adaptable, and aligned with societal, cultural and legal contexts. Recommendations include improving accessibility and quality. By emphasizing the role of law in advancing these objectives, the study calls for systemic reforms to achieve universal access to quality education and highlights the necessity of aligning education with the broader goals of societal equity and development.

This article explores the portrayal of corruption and moral decay in selected Xitsonga protest poetry, focusing on Ngobeni K.J.'s "Xana i vuphorisa ke?"  and Khosa M.A.'s "Hi lo yini hina?". The study investigates how figurative language, particularly proverbs, metaphors, and rhetorical devices, functions not only as a literary technique but also as a social critique drawing on the context theory of meaning, which emphasizes how linguistic expressions derive their meaning from sociocultural and historical contexts in which they are used, the analysis demonstrates how the poets encode complex critiques of institutional decay into culturally resonant language. The study employs a qualitative research design using content analysis to identify and interpret themes of corruption in policing and religion. The findings reveal that both ports present corruption not simply as an act of individual moral failure but as a systemic issue rooted in nepotism, bribery, and spiritual manipulation. Ultimately, the article argues that protest poetry in indigenous languages serves as a powerful tool for moral reflection and civic engagement in contemporary South African society. 

This article explores factors affecting principals' readiness to creatively implement policies, focusing on the policy on the South African Standard for Principalship. Policy implementation globally and in South Africa has faced an extraordinary frequency of failure. This occurs due to organizations' failure to measure readiness in employees, resulting in a lack of information about processes and strategies for implementing the policies. This article focuses on the perceptions of principals regarding factors that affect their readiness to creatively implement policies using a qualitative method. Information was gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews. The information was collected on a small sample of fifteen principals from schools in Mopani East district, Limpopo province, and was analysed through qualitative inductive analysis. The study revealed that principals' readiness to implement policies is affected by motivating factors. The study recommends that the Department of Education focus on enhancing the motivation of principals, which can result in readiness to implement, and measure the readiness of principals to implement policies in advance of the formal operation. 

This paper explored the perspectives of novice educators teaching multi-grade classes in primary schools, focusing on their challenges, their coping strategies, and the support mechanisms needed for effective teaching in such complex educational settings. Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory served as a theoretical lens for understanding the interconnectedness among novice educators and various subsystems, including classrooms, school policies, and educational regulations.  Data was collected from nine public schools in one of the circuits in the Limpopo Province. Purposive sampling was employed to select only nine novice educators who teach in multigrade settings. The data were thematically analysed. The findings indicate that novice educators faced significant challenges in multi-grade teaching, including lesson planning, equitable attention distribution, and maintaining student engagement. Despite these difficulties, they gradually developed resilience through experience, peer collaboration, and self-directed learning. The paper proposes a framework for strengthening support structures for novice educators, including structured mentorship programmes, professional development initiatives, and additional teaching resources.

Bullying in the foundation phase poses a significant challenge that undermines both teaching and learning processes. Learners who experience bullying often demonstrate poor academic performance and increased absenteeism. This study explored the effects of bullying on teaching and learning in foundation phase classrooms. A qualitative research approach with an exploratory design was employed. Purposive sampling was used to select eight foundation phase teachers (Grades R–3) and two school management team members from two schools. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom and playground observations. The Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model guided the study. Thematic analysis revealed that emotional stress, inadequate institutional support, and challenging learner behaviour negatively affected teaching quality and learner outcomes. The findings highlight the need for systemic interventions that align job demands with adequate resources to promote safe and supportive learning environments.

Women remain central to agricultural development and food security in South Africa, yet structural inequalities and limited recognition continue to suppress their potential contribution. The Vhembe Female Farmer Competition, organised by the Vhembe District Municipality and the Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (LDARD), serves as a platform to empower women, young women, and women with disabilities by recognising their role in local economic development. This paper explored the competition as an intervention that promotes women’s participation in agriculture, gender equality, fosters entrepreneurship, and contributes to poverty alleviation. Quantitative research approach was employed, where the simple random sampling technique was used to select 13 contestants across various categories. Data was collected through a structured survey and analysed using Excel to obtain the descriptive statistics. The study found no participants from Musina Local Municipality in the female farmer competitions and the Vhembe District Disability forum. Among female farmers, the best female worker (R2.5 million) and commercial producer (R1.5 million) recorded the highest annual turnovers. The young female farmer generated the turnover of R725,000.00 and notably created the highest over 60 seasonal and permanent jobs, demonstrating strong employment potential despite lower earnings as compared to the female worker and commercial producer categories. A financial literacy gap was evident in other categories. It is recommended that Musina Local Economic Development officers participate in preparatory meetings and mobilise farmers. Extension officers must provide financial management training to improve farm operations and employment opportunities.